The EAS Difference

Learning Difficulties and the Arrowsmith Program

Located at sites in Vancouver and Victoria, Eaton Arrowsmith School is modeled after the Arrowsmith School in Toronto which has been operating successfully since 1980 using the Arrowsmith Program to address the underlying causes of students’ learning difficulties and learning differences by strengthening learning capacities.

Linking Neuroplasticity and Education with the Arrowsmith Program

The Arrowsmith Program is based on the principal of neuroplasticity, which is the ability of the brain to essentially rewire itself with training. Supported by 30 years of experience, the Arrowsmith Program links neuroplasticity and education by demonstrating that it is possible for individuals to strengthen the weak cognitive capacities underlying their learning difficulties through a program of specific cognitive exercises.

Arrowsmith Program Research and Media Coverage

There have been a number of research evaluations of the program with excellent results. Explore a complete report of this research at the Arrowsmith School website. In the media, the best-selling book, “The Brain That Changes Itself,” by Canadian author, psychiatrist, and psychoanalyst, Norman Doidge M.D., contains a chapter that focuses on the work of Arrowsmith School with students with learning disabilities and places its program in the context of the broader field of neuroplasticity. Based on this book, a CBC documentary of the same name first appeared on David Suzuki’s “The Nature of Things” on November 27, 2008. On May 24, 2010, the Arrowsmith Program was recognized as the “Most Innovative Special Ed School” in the inaugural SharpBrains 2010 Brain Fitness Innovation Awards. Discover more media coverage of the Arrowsmith Program.

A Community to Address Learning Difficulties

Staff members at Eaton Arrowsmith School create an environment of warmth and compassion to help students become part of a community with a common goal: increasing each child’s capacity to learn. Small class sizes, dedicated teachers, and individualized programs also enable each student to reach their learning potential. We also work closely with students to help foster strong social skills, emotional well-being, and social responsibility. While the primary focus of the school is addressing the 19 areas of dysfunction with the Arrowsmith Program, an academic program consisting of English and Math is also provided.

Independent School Established for Kids with Learning Differences

Eaton Arrowsmith School (EAS) was established by Howard Eaton in 2005 in Vancouver as a co-educational, non-denominational, independent day school for elementary and secondary school students with learning differences. EAS has a maximum enrollment of 75 full time students and is a Group 3 Independent School monitored by the BC Office of the Inspector of Independent Schools and is a member of the Federation of Independent Schools Associations (FISA). In 2009, EAS opened an independent school in Victoria to help Vancouver Island kids with learning disabilities and, in September 2012, South Surrey/White Rock location opened.